After the weekend's draw away at Birmingham, Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to get back to winning ways in their final Champions' League Group A match when they travel to the Netherlands to take on FC Twente.
A win for the London side could see them top the group depending on goal difference, and Harry Redknapp believes it is vital for his side to finish first if they want avoid teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Spurs have already qualified for the last 16 knockout stages after previous wins against FC Twente at White Hart Lane and current European champions Inter Milan in a game where arguably Tottenham's most prized asset, and one of the most improved players in the Premier League over the past 18 months, Gareth Bale starred.
Bale has been instrumental in most of Tottenham's key play this season, scoring 13 goals and being regarded as the biggest threat in the side with his pace, strength and skill. The 21-year-old Welshman had a torrid time at the start of his Spurs career, failing to record a single win in 24 starts after signing from Southampton in 2007. But, he has turned his fortunes and last week received BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2010, succeeding fellow Welsh footballer Ryan Giggs in achieving the accolade.
Redknapp himself will be hoping his latest prize winner will be on top form to help spur his team on toward finishing top of Group A tonight in Holland.
The injury list at Tottenham continues to grow it seems. Despite the returning Jermaine Jenas being declared fit, Croatian playmaker Luka Modric is highly doubtful with illness. Rafael van der Vaart is still missing, along with defender Younes Kaboul.
Redknapp faces more long-term problems in his side though with Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King, Tom Huddlestone and Jamie O'Hara all facing lengthy spells on the sidelines, but it is expected Sebastien Bassong will start tonight alongside William Gallas after his goal at Brimingham, despite the return of influential defender Michael Dawson.
Even though Twente are out of the Champions' League, they have qualified for the Europa League so any hope of an easy ride for Tottenham will easily be overlooked as the Dutch champions will look to create some form when they head into another competition after Christmas. The presence of former Wigan Athletic midfielder Denny Landzaat will be key to Twente's push for form against Spurs, and highly-rated striker Luuk De Jong is expected to be in the squad.
The pressure of playing a big side like Barcelona or Milan so early after the group stages will be a path Redknapp wants to avoid. His side's inexperience playing at this level means he will want his side to finish top to learn and develop their European game.
Redknapp will not take Twente for granted. Despite a resounding win against the Dutch side at White Hart Lane earlier in the group stages, the manager knows the De Grosch Veste stadium is not the easiest place to come away with points. Having Bale in his side will be important for Redknapp, but after the lack of form in his strikers, the side's ambition for goals could prove essential.
Assistant Producer for beIN SPORTS based in Doha, Qatar. Editor of www.laliganews.tv and former Sports Editor of Winchester News Online
Showing posts with label Gareth Bale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gareth Bale. Show all posts
Friday, 10 December 2010
Club Focus - Tottenham Hotspur
Despite being a little out of date I thought it would be a good idea to publish the articles I have written for 'A Different League' that haven't been published on their website.
I have 6 articles a week to do so there are going to be times my pieces are not published, so a perfect time to have a personal blog.
Do Enjoy.
Earlier in the week, midfielder Luka Modric said for his side to make a charge on the Premier League title then Tottenham would have to improve their away form, form which has seen them come from behind to beat fierce rivals Arsenal just two weeks ago but also lose to league strugglers West Ham as well as a poor display at the Reebok to go down 4-2 to Bolton Wanderers. If Modric was hoping for some answer to his calls this week, he would have to be waiting a little longer now.
Despite dominating the first half against Birmingham, the White Hart Lane outfit could not extend their lead given to them on 19 minutes from Sebastien Bassong. A defensive crisis has seen Bassong play a more prominent role in Harry Redknapp’s back four. Injuries to Ledley King, Younes Kaboul, Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson have meant Bassong has had the opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the starting eleven, and how he took his chance today, finishing from five yards after Gareth Bale’s well-hit free-kick was only punched away by England keeper Ben Foster.
Tottenham’s dominance continued in the first half, with chances from Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch being blocked by Blues defender Scott Dann and Foster in goal, respectively. If anything, it was surprising that Spurs went in at the break just one in front, and it was expected to see the London side come out in the second half the same they did in the first.
Alex McLeish’s half-time team talk had obviously been a wake-up call for the home side, when a swinging Gardner free-kick and a header were turned away by Heurelho Gomes. The home side continued to push for an equaliser and Gardner, who was the main man in all of Birmingham’s play, was rewarded for his solid performance with 10 minutes to go. Dann’s ball forward found the head of Nicola Zigic whose knock across the area found the incoming Gardner who wheeled away in celebration.
The match itself highlighted Birmingham’s resolve but also signalled more concerns for Redknapp in a lack of goal-scoring prowess along with their frailties in defence. The absence of Rafael van der Vaart meant Spurs lacked the creativity they would usually find had the Dutchman been on the pitch. Despite having the pace of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale on both wings, worries about the lack of goals from strikers Defoe, Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko are sure to put some supporters in doubt of their frontline.
Some positive news for Redknapp though. The return of inspirational defender Michael Dawson to the bench is sure to put Bassong under pressure, but with a home match to local rivals Chelsea next weekend, the manager has some big decisions to make.
This weekend’s point in the Midlands kept Tottenham in 5th but wins for Arsenal and Manchester City means competition for the Champions’ League spots is more fruitful this year. St Andrews is always a tough place to go to, as Chelsea experienced some weeks ago, but supporters who want to see Tottenham challenge for the title will want to see improvements up and down the pitch.
I have 6 articles a week to do so there are going to be times my pieces are not published, so a perfect time to have a personal blog.
Do Enjoy.
Earlier in the week, midfielder Luka Modric said for his side to make a charge on the Premier League title then Tottenham would have to improve their away form, form which has seen them come from behind to beat fierce rivals Arsenal just two weeks ago but also lose to league strugglers West Ham as well as a poor display at the Reebok to go down 4-2 to Bolton Wanderers. If Modric was hoping for some answer to his calls this week, he would have to be waiting a little longer now.
Despite dominating the first half against Birmingham, the White Hart Lane outfit could not extend their lead given to them on 19 minutes from Sebastien Bassong. A defensive crisis has seen Bassong play a more prominent role in Harry Redknapp’s back four. Injuries to Ledley King, Younes Kaboul, Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson have meant Bassong has had the opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the starting eleven, and how he took his chance today, finishing from five yards after Gareth Bale’s well-hit free-kick was only punched away by England keeper Ben Foster.
Tottenham’s dominance continued in the first half, with chances from Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch being blocked by Blues defender Scott Dann and Foster in goal, respectively. If anything, it was surprising that Spurs went in at the break just one in front, and it was expected to see the London side come out in the second half the same they did in the first.
Alex McLeish’s half-time team talk had obviously been a wake-up call for the home side, when a swinging Gardner free-kick and a header were turned away by Heurelho Gomes. The home side continued to push for an equaliser and Gardner, who was the main man in all of Birmingham’s play, was rewarded for his solid performance with 10 minutes to go. Dann’s ball forward found the head of Nicola Zigic whose knock across the area found the incoming Gardner who wheeled away in celebration.
The match itself highlighted Birmingham’s resolve but also signalled more concerns for Redknapp in a lack of goal-scoring prowess along with their frailties in defence. The absence of Rafael van der Vaart meant Spurs lacked the creativity they would usually find had the Dutchman been on the pitch. Despite having the pace of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale on both wings, worries about the lack of goals from strikers Defoe, Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko are sure to put some supporters in doubt of their frontline.
Some positive news for Redknapp though. The return of inspirational defender Michael Dawson to the bench is sure to put Bassong under pressure, but with a home match to local rivals Chelsea next weekend, the manager has some big decisions to make.
This weekend’s point in the Midlands kept Tottenham in 5th but wins for Arsenal and Manchester City means competition for the Champions’ League spots is more fruitful this year. St Andrews is always a tough place to go to, as Chelsea experienced some weeks ago, but supporters who want to see Tottenham challenge for the title will want to see improvements up and down the pitch.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Gareth's only gone and Bale'd himself out of trouble
Talk about your ultimate turnarounds. Just a year and a half ago Gareth Bale couldn't get a win for Tottenham when he started, probably starting more times than Wayne Rooney scoring for Manchester United. Now the 21-year-old has become one of the Premier League's most dangerous left-sided players, and more importantly, Tottenham Hotspur's most prized asset.
Bale's displays in the past year have made in somewhate of a hit in England and across Europe. He's become so popular that a long list of clubs have been eyeing the Welshman as a transfer target in January. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Napoli, Bayern Munich are a
ll just a number of clubs who have been vying for his signature.
Just at the start of last season, Tottenham couldn't buy a win whenever Bale was in the starting line-up. He went a record 24 matches without a competitive win for Spurs when he started. You'd expect that from a side who play a different team, but everytime Bale played, they just could not win. That record was finally ended in late September 2009 when Spurs beat Burnley, this being two years after Bale signed for the North London side from Southampton. Bale missed the first few weeks of this season because of injury and endured a torrid time of "bench warming" when Benoit Assou Ekotto was enjoying a fantastic spell as Tottenham's first choice left-back.
In April this year, Bale starred in Tottenham's biggest clashes of the year, beating Arsenal, a game in which he scored, then just three days later scoring again to earn his side victory over my beloved Chelsea in a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane. His performance against the Blues earned him Man of the Match and impressive displays against Fulham in both the league and cup earned him Barclay's Premier League Player of the Month award.
This domestic season has seen Bale start where he left off. Two goals away to Stoke, including a cracking volley gave his side 3 points in a 2-1 win, and then 4 days later he created all four of Tottenham's goals in their 4-0 Champions League Qualifying Round match against Youngs Boys to put them through to the competition group stages.
Bale scored his first Champions' League goal in their 4-1 home win to FC Twente and in the same week he was named Welsh Footballer of the Year. However, what was to happen next would never be seen at all. Regardless of how well he's been playing, Bale, in my opinion thrives as an attacking left-sided player rather than a defender. He's good at left-back but is on numerous times caught out of position, and I feel having someone like assou-Ekotto behind him gives Bale the freedom to run forward then track back to help his defence when under pressure. Having the knowledge of two different positions gives the 21-year-old a maturity, a reponsibility and a knowledge of how to play the game.
This month is probably Bale's most recognisable. Julio Cesar is a superb keeper. He was officially named European goalkeeper of the Year thanks to his heroics in Inter's Champions' League winning season last year under the charismatic José Mourinho. It is very rare Cesar concedes 3 goals in one match, and when it does happen it is usually something special. So imagine this. Inter Milan are 4-0 up at half-time, at home, to a 10-man Tottenham Hotspur after keeper Heurelho Gomes was sent off after just 8 minutes of play.
I was at the university when this match was taking place. I was now expecting a drubbing and constantly texting my best mate Liam (a Spurs fan) about the potential thrashing his side were about to endure. Just 45 minutes later, Inter had failed to score and Gareth Bale had taken the game by the scruff of the neck and scored his first ever competitive hat-trick, two of these goals coming in the final minutes of the match.
The result was still a disappointment for Spurs, but even as a Chelsea supporter, I was full of admiration for the Welsh youngster. His recent performances in a Spurs shirt have given him well-deserved praise and respect. Even as a neutral though, and as much as I'd like to have a player of his potential at a club like Chelsea, the best thing for Gareth Bale is to resist temptation of a huge club and stay put with Spurs.
The fans love him, and he loves the club. He is only 21, and has years ahead of him to improve his game, score more goals and become known as the world's best left winger. In my opinion, a move now may well damage his career, and destroy all the work he has put in into becoming the player we all know him to be.
Bale's displays in the past year have made in somewhate of a hit in England and across Europe. He's become so popular that a long list of clubs have been eyeing the Welshman as a transfer target in January. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Napoli, Bayern Munich are a
ll just a number of clubs who have been vying for his signature.Just at the start of last season, Tottenham couldn't buy a win whenever Bale was in the starting line-up. He went a record 24 matches without a competitive win for Spurs when he started. You'd expect that from a side who play a different team, but everytime Bale played, they just could not win. That record was finally ended in late September 2009 when Spurs beat Burnley, this being two years after Bale signed for the North London side from Southampton. Bale missed the first few weeks of this season because of injury and endured a torrid time of "bench warming" when Benoit Assou Ekotto was enjoying a fantastic spell as Tottenham's first choice left-back.
In April this year, Bale starred in Tottenham's biggest clashes of the year, beating Arsenal, a game in which he scored, then just three days later scoring again to earn his side victory over my beloved Chelsea in a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane. His performance against the Blues earned him Man of the Match and impressive displays against Fulham in both the league and cup earned him Barclay's Premier League Player of the Month award.
This domestic season has seen Bale start where he left off. Two goals away to Stoke, including a cracking volley gave his side 3 points in a 2-1 win, and then 4 days later he created all four of Tottenham's goals in their 4-0 Champions League Qualifying Round match against Youngs Boys to put them through to the competition group stages.
Bale scored his first Champions' League goal in their 4-1 home win to FC Twente and in the same week he was named Welsh Footballer of the Year. However, what was to happen next would never be seen at all. Regardless of how well he's been playing, Bale, in my opinion thrives as an attacking left-sided player rather than a defender. He's good at left-back but is on numerous times caught out of position, and I feel having someone like assou-Ekotto behind him gives Bale the freedom to run forward then track back to help his defence when under pressure. Having the knowledge of two different positions gives the 21-year-old a maturity, a reponsibility and a knowledge of how to play the game.
This month is probably Bale's most recognisable. Julio Cesar is a superb keeper. He was officially named European goalkeeper of the Year thanks to his heroics in Inter's Champions' League winning season last year under the charismatic José Mourinho. It is very rare Cesar concedes 3 goals in one match, and when it does happen it is usually something special. So imagine this. Inter Milan are 4-0 up at half-time, at home, to a 10-man Tottenham Hotspur after keeper Heurelho Gomes was sent off after just 8 minutes of play.
I was at the university when this match was taking place. I was now expecting a drubbing and constantly texting my best mate Liam (a Spurs fan) about the potential thrashing his side were about to endure. Just 45 minutes later, Inter had failed to score and Gareth Bale had taken the game by the scruff of the neck and scored his first ever competitive hat-trick, two of these goals coming in the final minutes of the match.
The result was still a disappointment for Spurs, but even as a Chelsea supporter, I was full of admiration for the Welsh youngster. His recent performances in a Spurs shirt have given him well-deserved praise and respect. Even as a neutral though, and as much as I'd like to have a player of his potential at a club like Chelsea, the best thing for Gareth Bale is to resist temptation of a huge club and stay put with Spurs.
The fans love him, and he loves the club. He is only 21, and has years ahead of him to improve his game, score more goals and become known as the world's best left winger. In my opinion, a move now may well damage his career, and destroy all the work he has put in into becoming the player we all know him to be.
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